Morphology of the head-associated exocrine glands in Cornitermes cumulans with the description of a novel gland for the worker caste.

Exocrine glands are important mediators of communication in eusocial insects and the description of novel glands reflects the complex context in which these animals live. Here we revisit the head-associated glands in workers of the Neotropical termite Cornitermes cumulans through histological analysis and describe a novel gland for this caste, the intramandibular glands. This structure is located underneath the cuticle of the dorsodistal part of each mandible.

Secretory oviducts contribute to the high egg-laying rate of physogastric termite queens (Isoptera: Termitidae).

Physogastric termite queens are characterized by a notorious enlargement of the abdomen triggered by an equal development of the ovaries. Other physogastry-related modifications have been reported on the fat body, cuticle, midgut, tracheal system, and hemolymph. Surprisingly, modifications on the lateral oviducts of these females, important sites for ovulation and egg transport, have received little attention.

First Neotropical record of the association between brown sclerotium-forming fungi and termite eggs in a nest of Coptotermes gestroi (Blattaria, Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae).

Insects and fungi are abundant in many environments, in which facultative and/or obligate associations involving these groups have been established during evolution. In termites, mutualism with fungi is well reported for some termite lineages (e.g.

Comparative reproductive biology of pre-, imaginal, and neotenic castes of the Asian termite (Blattaria, Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae).

The Asian subterranean termite is a worldwide structural pest, although its reproductive biology has been poorly investigated due to a cryptic habit and occurrence of polycalic nests. In this study, we investigated ovarian development and oogenesis in different-aged females of : fourth-instar nymphs, non-functional neotenics, alates, and functional queens. We show that the ovaries develop gradually according to their age and functionality, as younger individuals possess immature oocytes, whereas alates and functional queens always undergo vitellogenesis.

Salivary glands in workers of Ruptitermes spp. (Blattaria, Isoptera, Termitidae, Apicotermitinae): a morphological and preoteomic approach.

Salivary glands are omnipresent in termites and occur in all developmental stages and castes. They function to produce, store, and secrete compounds, ranging from a feeding function to defensive mechanisms. Here, we provide a complete morphological overview of the salivary glands in the soldierless species Ruptitermes reconditus and R.

Location, morphology and function of nephrocytes in termites.

Insect nephrocytes are cells bathed in hemolymph and considered to have an excretory function. These cells have ambiguous nomenclature and are understudied in termites. This study is the first report on the occurrence, morphology and function of nephrocytes in different termite castes.

Evaluation of growth and foraging in laboratory colonies of Coptotermes gestroi (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae).

Coptotermes gestroi is an exotic species in Brazil that forages on several food items at the same time. Different laboratory tests were performed with 6-year-old colonies of this termite in order to follow the development and displacement of these colonies, considering which castes and instars were transferred or moved from their original chamber. Two bioassays were carried out, one with similar alternative foods (Pinus sp.